I was eating a burger and writing poetry at the Old Town Bar when my friend Dung, who works nearby in publishing came in, returning as always from his travels to Europe, where he hops from Biennales to design fairs, meeting famous designers and fashion celebrities, and private visits to architecture gems such Oscar Niemeyer’s French Communist Party Headquarters in Paris.

– Hey Unknown, I think the time has come for you to do a book.

– Really? I’d rather do a record. My Unknown Suite for voice and electrified tambourine is almost ready. Do you want to listen to the demo tape? It’s only 120 minutes long.

– Hmm, I’m sure the music is great, but right now I think a book is more appropriate. And a new publishing house, August Editions, wants to publish it.

– Well… You see, I don’t want my stuff to become too commercial.

– We’re would do a limited edition of only 1,000 numbered copies.

– What would be the title?

– How about The Unknown Hipster Diaries?

– Shouldn’t it just be called The Unknown Diaries? People hate hipsters, especially other hipsters. At my Bushwick subway station somebody wrote over a Planned Change Service Notice at the end of the platform: “F*** the hipsters, they ruined Brooklyn,” and it’s illustrated with a crude drawing of a dude with beard and frames.

– But, Unknown, you’re not really a hipster…

– No, in fact, I never was.

– Of course. Still, I think we should keep the title The Unknown Hipster Diaries.

I was walking down rue de Richelieu in Paris recently when I stopped by Kitsuné, the music label and clothing company created by Gildas and Masaya. By coincidence they were showing some drawings from their collaboration with Jean-Philippe Delhomme.

Gildas Loaec and Masaya Kuroki

Gildas just returned from deejaying in some distant location of the world. It’s always difficult to figure out what time it is for him. He ends his email conversations with phrases like « I’ve to work now » and it’s 2 am In Kyoto or Bangkok. I’m always trying to learn the secrets of his trade when we have lunch, in case one day somebody asks me to play my box of psychedelic records in front of a roaring crowd.

Masaya gave me a plaid shirt from their autumn collection, which would nicely replaced mine from the Brooklyn Flea, and a new Guards 7 inch. He guessed Guards was more down my alley than Housse de Racket (although I love their name). And he is right, play “don’t wake the dead“, and the world is yours. At least, temporary.

I went to Jean-Philippe Delhomme’s opening and new book «The Cultivated Life» launch at Partners & Spade the other day. It was Fools Day, and I was expecting some kind of weird joke, but I was curious to see the guy who drew me. The place was pretty crowded, even though it was raining. Glenn O’ Brien and Gina Nanni were there, Thom Browne, Gaby from threeASFOUR, Mathias Augustiniak from M/M Paris, Spade himself. And many others. I kept shaking hands, but …nobody was paying attention to me, The Unknown Hipster ! Only one of the gallery assistant had a smile when I told her my name. Even Delhomme nodded back in distract when I greeted him. Was it for what I had dragged myself out my pad ? Instead of comfortably listening to one of my favorite poetry web radios ? I swore I’ll never go out again!..